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Common sense media reviewers.

Strong female character leads in violent dystopia.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The lead character deals with important issues abo

Tris sometimes doubts herself but taps into her co

There is a less violence in the movie than in the

In addition to a few longing looks, just one long

A couple of uses of "bitch," "s--t,

In one scene it looks like some of the Dauntless a

Positive Messages

The lead character deals with important issues about identity and finding her place in a controlling society. Tris and Four struggle with what it really means to be selfless, brave, smart, and kind, as they explore trusting their own beliefs rather than those imposed by the separatist government.

Positive Role Models

Tris sometimes doubts herself but taps into her courage and ingrained selflessness to protect others even when she doesn't realize it, like when she stands up for Al and takes a punishment for him. Four encourages Tris to use her upbringing's focus on selflessness to be even more courageous. Tris and Four offer a positive example of a teen relationship; they treat each other as equals, defend and protect each other, and go slow with their romance.

Violence & Scariness

There is a less violence in the movie than in the book, but it's still a violent story. Several characters are shot at, injured, or killed including beloved parents. Teen siblings are orphaned by the end of the movie. The Dauntless faction of brave risk takers requires a brutal initiation that includes several scenes of bloody hand-to-hand combat (until someone can't get up any more), knife-throwing, marksmanship, and more. Characters are routinely sparring and injuring one another -- or entering fear simulations to deal with their greatest fears, whether it's wild animals, confined spaces, drowning, etc. A character commits suicide and his dead body is briefly shown. Three masked guys grab Tris, beat her up and nearly throw her to her death. Christina is forced to hang off of a ledge for a certain amount of time to atone for her cowardice. During a climactic sequence, drugged soldiers shoot and kill unarmed citizens.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

In addition to a few longing looks, just one long passionate kiss (with the guy shirtless), and some heartfelt embraces. During a fear simulation, Tris imagines Four kissing her on a bed and trying to convince her to have sex before she's ready, but she defends herself.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A couple of uses of "bitch," "s--t," and "a--hole." Other insults include "Stiff," "coward," "stupid," "loudmouth."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

In one scene it looks like some of the Dauntless are drinking, but it's not clear.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Divergent is the first adaptation of author Veronica Roth's best-selling dystopian trilogy . Set in a future Chicago, the movie is slightly less violent than the book but still depicts the brutal world of a post-apocalyptic society divided into factions or groups. People are killed, orphaned, injured, and thoroughly beat up in bloody hand-to-hand combat (including guy-on-girl fist fights), violent bullying, an armed occupation, and mass killings of unarmed people. There's a central romance, but it remains fairly chaste -- only some longing looks, embraces and one extended, passionate kiss. The movie features a brave, vulnerable, and fierce female main character. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (38)
Kids say (294)

Based on 38 parent reviews

A page turner that is a bit too steamy

A great film - possibly suitable for your younger kids, if they have the attention span, what's the story.

In the distant future, Chicago is cut off from the rest of America in a society strictly divided into five factions based on character traits -- Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice "Tris" Prior ( Shailene Woodley ) is a 16-year-old Abnegation-born teen whose government-sponsored personality test reveals she is DIVERGENT-- meaning she doesn't fit into just one faction. After choosing to join Dauntless, Tris must survive a brutal (and bloody) initiation process under the tutelage of her handsome, mysterious instructor Four ( Theo James ). Together they discover that the Erudite, led by Jeanine Matthews ( Kate Winslet ), plan to kill all Divergents and take control of the government -- unless Tris and Four can stop them.

Is It Any Good?

The movie adaptation of the popular YA series benefits from a talented cast, a spot-on visual depiction of the factions, the Dauntless Pit, and the story's urban Chicago setting. The acting ensemble is as good as the cast of The Hunger Games and vastly superior to that of Twilight and the forgettable Vampire Academy and Mortal Instruments adaptations . While Woodley doesn't fit the canon description of Tris, she captures the character's mix of vulnerability and courage, her desire to be independent in a world that demands conformity. And although heartthrob Theo James is almost too manly looking for Woodley's doe-eyed ingenue, he definitely gets the job done as the intensely serious Four.

But the movie doesn't live up to the hype or the potential of the written series. The Dauntless initiation process isn't as violent or emotional on the screen as it is on the page, and neither is the buildup of the Tris and Four romance or Tris' friendship with her fellow transfer initiates. Considering the two-and-a-half-hour runtime, there are parts that drag on and yet aspects of the book that seem surprisingly cut. The performances (Winslet is fabulous as the icy Erudite leader, and Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, and Jai Courtney are all true to the spirit of their characters) make up for some of the pacing and screenwriting issues, but overall this adaptation falls short of fan expectations. Still, tweens and teens who've read the books should absolutely see the movies and hope the second and third installments fare better.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the popularity of violent dystopian stories aimed at teenagers. What purpose does the violence serve in Divergent ? Is it different to see violence rather than to read about it? How does the violence in the book compare to the movie?

How does Tris compare to other female protagonists in young adult books and movies? What are her views on love, family, and relationships? Does she have the qualities of a role model?

Discuss the central romance between Tris and Four. Were you surprised at how slowly it progressed? What messages about love and sex does the film communicate?

Fans of the book: Was the movie a faithful adaptation? What differences did you like, which scenes from the book did you miss?

How do the characters in Divergent demonstrate courage ? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

In theaters : March 21, 2014
On DVD or streaming : August 5, 2014
Cast : Shailene Woodley , Theo James , Kate Winslet
Director : Neil Burger
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Summit Entertainment
Genre : Action/Adventure
Topics : Book Characters , Great Girl Role Models
Character Strengths : Courage
Run time : 143 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality
Last updated : May 17, 2024

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Movie Review

Review: In ‘Divergent,’ Jolted Awake by Fear and Romance

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By Manohla Dargis

March 20, 2014

Women warriors are on the rise again in American movies, and so, too, are hopes that they’ll be able to strike where it counts: in the industry’s executive suites.

Some of this faith can be traced, irrationally or exuberantly, to “The Hunger Games.”

Its second installment, “Catching Fire,” wasn’t only the highest grossing movie of 2013, it also pulled in a lot of guys, and not just, you know, women, that 52 percent of North American moviegoers who are deemed a limited demographic, a niche and a seemingly unsolvable problem. That no one would ever frame male-driven franchises like “Iron Man,” “Spider-Man” and “The Dark Knight” as niche attractions helps explain that problem.

So, yea for “Divergent,” a dumb movie that I hope makes major bank if only as a reminder of the obvious: Women can drive big and little movies, including the pricey franchises that fire up the box office and the culture.

To do so, though, they’re going to need directors who can handle the demands of an industrial production like this and a script that obscures rather than emphasizes the weakness of the source material. A good action choreographer will be crucial, as will decent hair and makeup.

That the length of Shailene Woodley’s eyelashes changes throughout “Divergent” may have been amusingly distracting for a while (maybe they’re mood lashes, a friend quipped), but such shoddiness also underscores the contempt that movie companies have for the medium and the audience.

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Divergent Reviews

There have been far more compelling metaphors for the trials of adolescence.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 15, 2022

This slick-looking, but shallow slice of sci-fi features a certain amount of Harry Potter-esque HufflePuff...

Full Review | Mar 8, 2022

Divergent is Hunger Games light, but Woodley and James bring some heat to the leads and it's fun watching Kate Winslet sneering her way through a villainous role.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 1, 2021

Falling victim to the same problem of many science-fiction or fantasy epic startups, the story is 90% introduction.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 4, 2020

It doesn't help that the music by Junkie XL is overwrought and dominating in the worst of ways.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4.0 | Sep 6, 2020

Despite a good lead performance, what we have is a glossy shell but not much underneath.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Jul 21, 2020

It is glaringly obvious that the movie version of Divergent is influenced by the success and popularity of The Hunger Games and sadly this underwhelming film did not deliver.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 16, 2020

Bland, clunky, and lifeless.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 8, 2020

I was bored.

Full Review | Apr 27, 2020

It's like Hunger Games, meets Enders' Game, meets every YA book you've ever read.

Full Review | Mar 26, 2020

Divergent suffers in comparison to Hunger Games. But when judged alone, Divergent makes a strong case for the entertainment value of an empowered young female hero attempting to survive and resist in a dystopian society.

Full Review | Mar 11, 2020

A possibly compelling idea gets lost in the mire of trying to be appealing to a core audience that doesn't want to work hard for narrative reward.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 29, 2019

The film is more interesting than the average bad movie precisely because it so gratuitously, and even thematically, fails to fit together.

Full Review | Aug 28, 2019

This is a rite-of-passage film, with action, romance and self-realization woven in. But unlike some others of this genre, Divergent is thought-provoking teen sci-fi.

Full Review | Aug 14, 2019

Saved by Woodley and James' performances, Divergent has every trope a teenage fan could ask for, and not much else.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 17, 2019

Divergent is chock-full of holes, but Woodley and her bright band of co-stars try valiantly to save the day.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 3, 2019

The story is told in a much too clinical fashion.

Full Review | Mar 7, 2019

Divergent doesn't have the same mass appeal, but it doesn't make it any less impactful than the best that this genre - the science fiction genre, not the young adult subgenre - has to offer.

Full Review | Feb 5, 2019

While I can't recommend "Divergent" to anyone not already fans of the novels, I will say I'm interested in where this series goes.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2019

Woodley makes things believable... and she and James sell their understated relationship.

Full Review | Jan 25, 2019

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Inside Out 2's Box Office Success Will End Up Being The Worst Thing That Could Happen To Pixar

What happened to legolas after sauron's defeat in the lord of the rings, eddie murphy teases plans to remake 1963 oscar-winning comedy movie with martin lawrence, divergent, falls somewhere in a middle ground between high points of the hunger games and the low points of the twilight saga..

Divergent takes place in a future Chicago that exists in the era after a great war. In order to avoid the pitfalls of the former world, the new society is divided into five factions: Candor (outspoken opinionated types suited for legality and politics), Erudite (the brainiacs who love knowledge and logic), Dauntless (brave risk-takers used for policing and military service), Amity (peaceful hippie-type farmers), and Abnegation (Amish-style simple folk who are the only ones trusted to hold public office). At age sixteen, each citizen is given an aptitude test meant to reveal their personality, and soon after, he or she must freely decided for themselves which faction they will join for life. "Faction before blood," as the old adage goes...

The twist comes when young Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) takes her aptitude test and discovers that she is "divergent" - i.e., part of an anomalous percentage of people who don't fit into any of the five factions. Beatrice is warned that divergence is a death sentence, so she reinvents herself as "Tris," a fearless and spirited member of Dauntless faction. However, before being accepted as a Dauntless warrior Tris has to contend with harsh instructors like Four (Theo James) and Eric (Jai Courtney), and jealous fellow recruits like Peter (Miles Teller) - all while protecting the secret of her divergence at all costs.

Maggie Q and Shailene Woodley in 'Divergent'

Directed by Neil Burger ( Limitless, The Illusionist ) and based on the young adult book series by Veronica Roth, Divergent presents an interesting sci-fi world and premise by way of an interesting main character - but unfortunately, those positives are weighted down by the usual negatives associated with modern YA genre films: namely, thin writing and cheesy teen romance.

Burger is best known as a director (some might say underdog) whose films create solid and immersive cinematic experiences with nice flourishes - even if his overall style as a director often fails to wow. Divergent pretty much falls in step with the trend of Burger's other films - a solid realization that has some nice flourishes, but never fully achieves an awe-inspiring cinematic experience.

The future world of Roth's novel looks interesting onscreen, but often the set pieces are something you could see in a sci-fi television show, and many of the attempts at more cinematic visual flair fall flat - as in, flat on the unconvincing green screens and poorly rendered CGI objects that are the standard of this film. Despite those (budgetary) shortcomings, however, Burger's small stylistic flourishes do make many of the surreal moments of the film interesting (the fear test sequences), and generally sell the world the film is attempting to create. In other words: a solid director does a solid job.

Having never read the novel myself, I can't know how well writers Evan Daughterty ( Snow White and the Huntsman ) and Vanessa Taylor ( Game of Thrones ) did with adapting the book for the screen - but knowing the basic summary of the story, I can say that many of the problems in Divergent likely originate at the source. The good parts of the story rest with the premise, the protagonist, and the overall themes about self-identity and defying conformity in favor of individuality. Luckily, those ripe elements of the story are what constitute the first two acts of the film, as Tris finds her faction and navigates the rough training regiment of Dauntless.

SHAILENE WOODLEY and THEO JAMES star in DIVERGENT

Where things go awry is (as per usual for this genre) when the teen romance subplot sucks momentum out of what was a more engaging and interesting story - but that's not to take away from lead actors Shailene Woodley ( The Descendants ) and Theo James ( Underworld: Awakening ). She's cute, feisty and smart, he's tall charming and handsome; the pair create an understated, slow-burn flirtatious chemistry that really carries the character moments of the film.

However, when Tris and Four inevitably go all doe-eyed for one another, it's pretty much a derailment of everything the film was doing up to that point. Gone is the story of an independent young woman's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, and here again is the insipid YA cliche where kissing the boy solves all the problems. (The last scene in the film is especially ridiculous in this regard.)

KATE WINSLET and THEO JAMES star in DIVERGENT

Aside from Jai Courtney ( A Good Day to Die Hard ) once again adding some flavor as abusive drill sergeant, Eric, the supporting cast (which includes Maggie Q, Ashley Judd, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn and Mekhi Phifer) is pretty much a misuse of some good talent. The supporting characters are either flat, cliched or undeveloped during the course of the film - and yes, I know, the book probably explains them in greater detail. But the film does not. Kate Winslet and Ashley Judd do good work with their roles as the cold leader of Erudite and Tris' mother, respectively. But don't count on those accomplished actresses to have much screen time.

In the end, Divergent , falls somewhere in a middle ground between high points of The Hunger Games and the low points of The Twilight Saga . It's not dead on arrival (see: The Mortal Instruments ), but it's too close to call whether or not many viewers (beyond the built-in fanbase) will leave the theater eager for the next chapter in Tris' path to self-discovery... and boys.

[poll id="777"]

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Divergent is now playing in theaters. It is 139 minutes long and is Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

Stay tuned for our Divergent episode of the Screen Rant Underground Podcast .

Follow me and talk movies @ppnkof

Based on the young adult "The Divergent Series" novels, Divergent is the first film in the franchise that follows a girl named Beatrice Prior, who lives on the fringes of society in a dystopian world. Set to join one of the five factions humans are separated into based on their virtues, Beatrice learns that she is considered a "Divergent," an independent thinker that she fits into none of the factions. Forced to conceal the truth, Beatrice joins the thrill-seeking Dauntless faction in secret, setting her on a path that will change the world.

Movie Reviews
2.5 star movies

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Film Review: ‘Divergent’

This latest attempt to cash in on the YA craze fails to work as an engaging standalone movie.

By Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker

Senior Features Writer

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Even though it stretches to nearly two-and-a-half hours and concludes with an extended gun battle, by the time “ Divergent ” ends, it still seems to be in the process of clearing its throat. Blame it on burdensome commercial expectations, perhaps: Adapted from the first novel in Veronica Roth ’s blockbuster YA series, this film has clearly been designated an heir apparent to Summit-Lionsgate’s massively lucrative teen-targeted “Twilight” and “Hunger Games” properties. Yet director Neil Burger seems so concerned with laying franchise groundwork that he neglects to create an engaging standalone movie, and “Divergent’s” uncertain sense of setting, bloated plot, drab visual style and solid yet underwhelming lead turns from Shailene Woodley and Theo James don’t necessarily make the best case for series newcomers. Fans of the books will turn out for what should be a very profitable opening weekend, but with future installments already on the release calendar, the film’s B.O. tea leaves will surely be read with care.

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The film takes place in a decaying futuristic version of Chicago, where society has reorganized itself into five distinct factions based on personality types, and named after words that “Divergent’s” target audience will soon need to learn for their SATs: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. (Why some factions are named with adjectives and others with nouns is a mystery that future installments will hopefully unravel.)

Speaking of the SAT, a standardized test is of paramount importance to teenage life in the film’s universe as well. At the age of 16, all youths must pick the faction where they will spend the rest of their lives, after a hallucinatory exam recommends where they are best suited. Of course, the results are secret, the test-takers are free to choose whichever faction they like, and the majority simply elect to stay right where they were born, which does call into question the test’s importance.

Protagonist Beatrice Prior (Woodley) is the daughter of an Abnegation official (Tony Goldwyn) who lives with her nurturing mother (Ashley Judd) and twin brother, Caleb (Ansel Elgort). She has never felt at ease with her faction’s modest, self-denying lifestyle, and when she takes the test, her results prove inconclusive, suggesting she’s equally adept at three different skillsets. Her tester (Maggie Q) hurries her out of the building, explaining that she is a rare species of “Divergent,” and must keep this information secret lest terrible consequences befall her. This is the first of many doom-laden warnings she’ll be given by characters who don’t have the time to explain them in any detail.

When Choosing Day arrives, the Prior twins shock the whole city by both opting for new factions. Caleb selects the snobbish Erudite faction, lead by the oleaginous, power-hungry Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet, doing what sounds conspicuously close to a Hillary Clinton impression). Beatrice defects to the warrior class Dauntless, a whooping, hollering, aerially detraining bunch with a fashion aesthetic that falls midway between “UFC fighter” and “Hot Topic clerk.”

Initiation into the new faction begins immediately, and Beatrice (now taking on the newer, hipper name of Tris) finds herself taking skyscraper trust falls and participating in brutal sparring matches with fellow initiates. She soon learns that those who fail to pass muster with the Dauntless clique are cast out (un-Daunted?) to join the untouchable “factionless” caste who live on the streets. Further complicating matters is her pair of bickering instructors: the hunky, granite-jawed Four (Theo James) — who shoots Tris the sort of pensive glances that suggest he’s struggling to decide on a font for their wedding invitations — and the serpentine Eric (Jai Courtney).

Meanwhile, as the initiation rituals take up most of the film’s focus, a power struggle deepens between Erudite and Abnegation, and Tris slowly starts to piece together why being outed as Divergent could prove so perilous.

If the story seems to be diverging into too many narrative factions at once, indeed it is. And by trying to cram in as many explanatory info dumps as possible, Burger neglects to tend to the elements of the film that could easily make up for any narrative deficiencies: namely, a sense of place and a feeling of urgency.

Despite all the tidings of war and eminent threat of banishment, the initiates rarely seem particularly nervous. It doesn’t help that scripters Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor excise a number of the darker sequences from Roth’s book, while Burger conspires to show nothing more sanguinary than minor nosebleeds and bruises for the first two acts, even when characters are putting each other into the hospital with great regularity. And for a hyper-militarized, technologically advanced, segregated dystopian society on the verge of factional conflict, the city’s various zones seem to have all the security and surveillance capacity of a Club Med.

Unlike the “Harry Potter” series’ tangible, fully dimensional Hogwarts or “The Hunger Games’” colorfully variegated districts, “Divergent’s” vision of new Chicago doesn’t have much to distinguish it from a standard-issue post-apocalyptic pic. Shot on location in the Windy City, the film rarely lingers for too long on urban exterior environments, with interiors sometimes appearing very much like soundstages, and the decor in the Dauntless faction’s social hub, dubbed “the Pit,” looks like it might well have been leftover from a Syfy original movie that shot there the week before.

Tackling her first leading role in a project of this size, Woodley can be wonderful when she’s allowed to show a bit of sass, but while she easily nails the film’s most emotional, actorly moments, her Tris hasn’t quite fully gelled as an autonomous character. Woodley’s “The Spectacular Now” co-star, Miles Teller, gets most of the film’s laughs as Tris’ antagonistic fellow initiate, while her friends played by Zoe Kravitz and Ben Lloyd-Hughes are left mostly spinning their wheels.

Though its largely handheld camerawork is always competent, the film displays an ungainly sort of beige sheen throughout: Backgrounds often appear washed-out and featureless, and actors’ faces sometimes display the lifeless aspect of overdone digital touchups. A trance-infused score by Junkie XL is appropriately youthful, while music supervisor Randall Poster has assembled a clever collection of indie rock, electronica and hip-hop.

Reviewed at AMC Century City 15, March 13, 2014. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 140 MIN.

Production: A Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment release of a Summit Entertainment presentation of a Red Wagon Entertainment production. Produced by Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian. Executive producers, John J. Kelly, Rachel Shane. Co-producer, Veronica Roth.
Crew: Directed by Neil Burger. Screenplay, Evan Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor, from the book by Veronica Roth. Camera (Deluxe color), Alwin Kuchler; editors, Richard Francis-Bruce, Nancy Richardson; music, Junkie XL; music supervisor, Randall Poster; production designer, Andy Nicholson; art director, Patrick Sullivan; set decorator, Anne Kuljian; costume designer, Carlo Poggiolo; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat), David Obermeyer; supervising sound editors, Wylie Stateman, Harry Cohen; re-recording mixers, Mike Prestwood Smith, Michael Keller; special effects supervisor, Yves DeBono; senior visual effects supervisor, Jim Berney; visual effects, Method Studios, Scanline VFX, Soho VFX, Wormstyle, CoSA VFX, Lola VFX; stunt coordinator/second unit director, Garrett Warren; assistant directors, Vincent Lascoumes, Artist Robinson; second unit camera, Jake Polonsky, Paul Hughen; casting, Mary Vernieu, Venus Kanani.
With: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Mekhi Phifer, Kate Winslet.

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In “The Divergent Series: Allegiant,” the third outing in this unduly somber and rather violent post-apocalyptic series aimed at impressionable youths, Tris Prior—played once again by Shailene Woodley —and her backup quartet of buddies finally get to see what is over the massive wall that has surrounded the CGI skyscraper rubble of a decimated Chicago.

The revelation is almost as disappointing as when that fussy old Professor Marvel is shown manipulating the levers behind the curtain in “ The Wizard of Oz .” Imagine if instead of being a forthright and upstanding stranded astronaut, Matt Damon from " The Martian " went full-tilt rowdy frat boy and basically trashed Mars, leaving behind a vaguely red-infused desert wasteland pitted with gaping crevices and soaked with radioactive nastiness.

Of course, the situation provides an outlet for Miles Teller ’s duplicitous and increasingly irritating comic relief Peter to resort to his usual snarkiness when crimson raindrops start to fall: “What, now the sky is bleeding?”

But suddenly what appear to be hulking military vehicles fly into view to scoop up the gang and take them to what we learn is the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, a futuristic enclave built upon what remains of Chicago International O’Hare Airport. This causes Tris’ hangdog brother Caleb ( Ansel Elgort ) to inquire, “What is an airport?”

He isn’t the only one with questions. For instance: Just how does an isolated community with such depleted resources find a way to manufacture clothes, weapons, furniture, cutting-edge digital gadgets, airborne vehicles, food products and on and on?

By the time a second sequel arrives, there should rightfully be enough familiarity with the general premise of a franchise that the dialogue can move beyond constant exposition and allow for actual conversation. But given that the creative forces of this second-string “Hunger Games” wannabe have made the now-par-for-the-course, money-grab move of altering and stretching events in the final book into a two-part finale, “Allegiant” is basically a thumb-twiddling placeholder that relies on crashes, attacks and subpar effects rather than dramatic substance.

A series that began as a semi-interesting sci-fi fantasia, about a dystopian society broken into rival segments defined by a dominant personality trait, has morphed into a plot that involves a rather off-putting experiment in genetic purity that went awry. Memory-erasing gas, kidnapped children, surveillance technology and bodyguard drones are all involved in this militaristic effort to cleanse humans of unwanted attributes. There is much pseudo-scientific blather about a plan that sounds uncomfortably close to building a perfect race à la Hitler—but given the plot holes that might stay unfilled even when the last entry, “The Divergent Series: Ascendant,” arrives in 2017, it is best to not fret too much about making sense of what is on-screen.

Meanwhile, back behind the wall, even less fun is being had as a civil war is threatening to break out between "factionless" commander Evelyn ( Naomi Watts )—who, in a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” has grown desperately tyrannical after off killing Kate Winslet ’s high-handed Jeanine in the previous film—and former Amity leader Johanna ( Octavia Spencer ), who now leads the catch-all group known as Allegiant. Think “ Survivor ” when the contestants drop their buffs and merge. At least these two Oscar-worthy actresses—double lead actress nominee Watts and supporting-actress winner Spencer—are allowed to collect easy De Niro-style paychecks while acting at half-speed.

They are easily upstaged by a new character in the form of Jeff Daniels ’ David, who oversees the genetics bureau and takes a special avuncular-seeming interest in Tris. As for Woodley, her usual warm butterscotch-like essence has considerably cooled this time around, despite her new ultra-chic blonde bob and clingy white designer wear that appears to be from the Claire Underwood collection. She also isn’t quite as intuitive as before. Tris should know better than to trust such an eager-to-please type like David, especially since he controls an army of gun-toting minions wearing red-and-blue camo uniforms that practically scream "Fascist regime."

And if she isn’t hanging on David’s every word, she is busy swapping spit at inappropriate moments with her tall, dark and silent honey Four ( Theo James , whose naked tattooed torso earns a gratuitous water-drenched money shot). But James’ upgrade to full action hero status means that Woodley, along with ally Christina ( Zoe Kravitz ), suffers an unfortunate kick-ass cutback.

As tedious as much of this sounds, an odd thing happened around “Allegiant’s” midway point. The fairly packed audience started vocally reacting “Rocky Horror”-style to some of the more overtly melodramatic turns with “oohs," “ahhs” and even laughter. Yes, there are unintentional amusements to be had. But, for me, nothing beats the high-tech showers used to detoxify Tris and her pals that coat their bodies with jelly-fish-like goo and literally suck out all the icky contaminants. You just know cleanse-queen Gwyneth Paltrow would kill to get her well-manicured hands on one of those.

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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Film credits.

The Divergent Series: Allegiant movie poster

The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016)

Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements, and some partial nudity.

121 minutes

Shailene Woodley as Tris

Theo James as Four

Zoë Kravitz as Christina

Miles Teller as Peter

Naomi Watts as Evelyn

Ansel Elgort as Caleb Prior

Jonny Weston as Edgar

Maggie Q as Tori

Jeff Daniels as David

Bill Skarsgård as Matthew

Nadia Hilker as Nita

Keiynan Lonsdale as Uriah

Courtney Hope as Anna

Joseph David-Jones as Hollis

Robert Schwentke

Writer (novel)

Veronica Roth
Noah Oppenheim
Adam Cooper
Bill Collage

Cinematographer

Florian Ballhaus
Stuart Levy
Joseph Trapanese

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DVD & Streaming
Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 21, 2014
Shailene Woodley as Beatrice Prior/Tris; Theo James as Four; Ashley Judd as Natalie; Kate Winslet as Jeanine; Jai Courtney as Eric; Miles Teller as Peter

Home Release Date

August 5, 2014
Neil Burger

Distributor

Summit Entertainment

Movie Review

Beatrice Prior has a choice to make. And, frankly, it’s not a choice that the 16-year-old wants to make. She’d rather just keep living with her parents and not worry about where she “fits” in society.

But that’s not how things work these days.

It’s been 100 years since the war that wiped out most of humanity. The last remnants of civilization now live behind a giant wall in what was once Chicago. And in these trying times, survival of the human race demands structuring things a bit differently. To best help society, everyone is told, a person’s role must be made clear early on and remain consistent.

And so Beatrice must choose one of the five so-called factions in which she’ll spend the rest of her life. She can remain in the Abnegation faction with her parents, a group that sacrificially serves the world around them. Or she can opt for the Amity faction of kindhearted farmers, the honest Candor faction of judges, the Erudite thinkers and scientists or the Dauntless faction that bravely protects all the rest.

It’s obviously a huge decision.

Fortunately there’s a test that helps figure out each individual’s genetic and psychological strengths. You simply drink a serum, lay back, have a hallucination or two and let a special machine read you like a book. That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway.

In Beatrice’s case, it doesn’t. When she comes to, the attendant looks at her nervously and suggests she slip out the back door right away. “And don’t tell anybody about this,” the woman warns her. Beatrice’s test, you see, suggests she’s equally adept at three different skill sets, that she could happily find a home in any of the three related factions.

Now, you might think that would give her an advantage. But in this society, that makes Beatrice something odd. Something dangerous. Something destabilizing to the well-defined social order. Something … divergent.

In short, Beatrice is the kind of person the factions can’t easily control. She doesn’t feel dangerous. But she is . She’s an anomaly that can threaten the whole system. And so she has to make sure she keeps her added abilities under wraps and not draw any attention to herself.

Because the so-called Divergents actually don’t get a choice.

They get to be … eliminated.

Positive Elements

But Beatrice does choose. She keeps quiet about her differences, picks the Dauntless faction of fighters and renames herself Tris. And though she struggles to keep pace physically with other trainees, Tris makes up for it by outclassing them when it comes to strategy and planning.

All of that puts her in a position to make a difference when one of the factions stages something of a civil war. Tris isn’t as mentally pliable as other Dauntless members, and she makes brave, self-sacrificial choices to protect literally thousands of innocents―circumventing a genocidal massacre.

A fellow Dauntless member named Four also puts his life on the line, stepping out of the ranks of soldiers to fight against impossible odds to support Tris’ heroic efforts. He also makes one of the movie’s most important speeches, declaring he would like to not just be brave, but also selfless, honest, kind and intelligent. It’s a mindset all of us can and should admire, not allowing ourselves to settle for just one quality characteristic, but aspiring to master them all.

Elsewhere, Tris’ family members repeatedly voice their love and support for one another. And when things get dangerous, both of Tris’ parents offer their lives to protect her and to save the lives of others. It’s said of their sacrifice, “They loved you. For them there was no better way to show you.”

Spiritual Elements

Divergent is set in a completely secular world, and there’s no real spiritual content to speak of. That said, the ceremony at which young people choose their faction has the feel of a religious rite. When each person’s name is called, he or she walks to a raised platform where five bowls represent the five factions. The choosing of a faction is done by taking a ceremional knife, cutting one’s hand and dripping blood into a bowl. The ceremony is meant to reinforce the idea that a person’s primary allegiance is now to a faction and no longer to a family. Accordingly, we repeatedly hear the phrase “Faction before blood.”

Sexual Content

New Dauntless pledges, both male and female, must all sleep in the same common area and use the same open shower area. We never see them do so, but we do see Tris, who’s clearly uncomfortable with the coed living arrangments, trying to change clothes while keeping as covered as possible. We very briefly glimpse her in a bra as she changes shirts, and others in the background are seen changing as well. When she slips off her jacket in another scene, a Dauntless teammate crudely yells at her, “Take it off!” She also wears a formfitting, cleavage-baring tank top at times (as do other Dauntless females).

Tris and Four (who’s her group leader), fall for each other. They hug and passionately kiss before she tells him, “I don’t want to go too fast.” At that point he backs off. Later, while under the influence of a hallucinatory drug, Tris envisions Four forcefully throwing her on the bed and moving toward her, then getting on top of her in a sexually threatening manner. (She knocks him away and escapes.)

Violent Content

Tris is a plebe in the soldiers’ ranks. As such, we see her and others go through painful training meant to shape them into unstoppable fighters. For instance, they bloody and bruise one another with vicious one-on-one beat-downs (including several guy-on-girl pummelings). Three hooded trainees threaten to throw Tris off a high cliff (before Four steps up to slam the offenders’ faces into a rock wall). A young woman is purposely left to dangle by her fingertips over a deadly precipice (to supposedly prove a point about never giving up). Another has her ear sliced by a thrown blade. In some cases, cadets are shot at close range with neuro-darts that simulate the writhing pain of being shot with a bullet. They jump on and off fast-moving trains. Initiation rituals include jumping several stories into a dark pit and rocketing down a precarious zip line between Chicago skyscrapers.

Part of the Dauntless training also includes a drug-induced psychological test. In these ominous hallucinatory visions, trainees are threatened with raging fire, smothering quicksand, attacking canines and birds, forceful drownings, slowly closing and crushing walls, and men with belts and bludgeons. We also repeatedly see needles being injected into people’s necks in order to administer the drug. In two cases, test subjects are forced to shoot innocents (even loved ones) in execution-style killings. (The fatal shots are delivered offscreen.)

Once the civil war breaks out, things get deadly in real life, too, with scores of soldiers and civilians alike getting shot and killed. Tris ends up having to kill one of her own friends by shooting him. She shoots and injures a teen guard to make him reveal a key logistic. Throngs of men, women and children are forced to their knees with guns to their heads. A woman has her hand impaled by a thrown knife. In a relatively bloody fight with drug-addled Four, Tris puts a gun to her own forehead as a means of shocking him out of his hallucination. A young man’s body is pulled up out of a watery pit after he commits suicide. (His face is distorted and bloody.) A woman sticks her finger into Tris’ bloody shoulder wound. We see other wounded and bleeding victims die.

Crude or Profane Language

One whispered f-word. A half-dozen misuses of God’s name accompany two or three each of “a‑‑hole” and “b‑‑ch.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Many people receive injections of the dream-inducing drug that can also completely control them, removing their capacity to question or to disobey murderous orders. During a group celebration scene, several people raise the simple tin cups they drink from as if toasting someone.

Other Negative Elements

A particularly sadistic Dauntless leader named Eric takes pleasure in treating several new recruits (especially Tris) cruelly throughout the movie. (But not nearly so severely as in the book.) Not surprisingly, Eric is exactly the kind of soldier who’s easily manipulated by the film’s real power-hungry villain, a faction leader named Jeanine. Members of the self-sacrificing Abnegation faction are often mocked by the other groups because of their simple, pleasure- and vanity-eschewing ways, so much so that other factions use the slur “stiffs” to demean members of the group. One of Tris’ Dauntless teammates attacks her, then begs, “Can you ever forgive me?” Tris angrily replies, “If you even come close to me, I will kill you.” He then commits suicide (offscreen) by leaping off a tall wall.

Like the atomic bomb-laden sci-fi flicks of the past, today’s young adult, book-based movies offer themselves up as something more than just simple entertainment. In addition to a suspenseful, plot-driven story, they also offer broad allegories, fantasy filters through which viewers can ruminate on real-world issues.

In the case of Divergent (based on the novel of the same name by 25-year-old author Veronica Roth), it’s a teen in a dystopian future wrestling with her fate: being an outcast who can’t seem to figure out how to fit in. She frets over the fact that everyone wants to label her before she’s had the chance to figure herself out. And she grapples with high-stakes decisions in a high-conoformity world where you’re judged by every action.

Thus, I suspect most teens who see Divergent will readily nod and say, “Yep, I feel ya’.” Like Slate film reviewer Dana Stevens says, “It’s not a mystery why so many young-adult best-sellers (and the lucrative movie franchises based on them) would take place in post-apocalyptic societies governed by remote authoritarian entities and rigidly divided into warring factions. The word dystopia comes from a Greek root that roughly translates as ‘bad place,’ and what place could be worse than high school? Adolescence is not for the faint of heart. The to-do list for the decade between ages 10 and 20 includes separating from your parents, finding your place among your peers at school, beginning to make decisions about your own future, and—oh yes—figuring out how to relate to the world, and yourself, as a suddenly and mystifyingly sexual being.”

Admittedly, Divergent ‘s futuristic dystopian premise feels stretched to the point of being ridiculous. I mean, who’s really going to swallow the idea of a society where everybody has to fit into only one of five primary-color categories? Still, if a movie showcases the right stars, delivers the right CGI action and adds in the right kind of romance … well, as the old movie line goes, “If you build it, they will come.” And from that perspective, Divergent delivers exactly what teens seem to be coming for.

Is it a truly immersive moviegoing experience, a film that will inspire viewers to greatness? No, not quite. In fact, the misogynistic pummeling of its female lead can feel more than a little disquieting at times. Like the Hunger Games movies before it, one can’t help but wonder if the teens-beating-teens cinematic tack shouldn’t have been avoided altogether. (A few other moments in the film, including some wince-inducing images of wounds and mass atrocities, as well as a glimpse of the film’s young star changing clothes, also need to be called out here in terms of content worth considering before heading off to join up with your own faction.)

Then again, this is an allegory, a fantasy that throws a young woman into the roiling waves of figuring out who she is, how she fits, and what’s right and wrong. It ultimately shows her meeting those challenges with a heart of self-sacrifice and heroism and an impassioned concern for those she loves. And it advocates for us all to be more than one-dimensional beings, to strive for well-roundedness as we practice a wide array of positive characteristics.

As allegories go, that might not be very, um, divergent from the norm, but neither is it all bad.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Divergent Review

04 Apr 2014

139 minutes

In the post-apocalyptic future of the Veronica Roth novel adapted here, the question, "What is your greatest strength?" is no longer a job interview stumper but the basis of an entire society. Five factions - Abnegation, Candour, Amity, Dauntless and Erudite (consistent grammar apparently died with civilisation) now comprise the population, and this compulsory segregation is designed somehow to promote peace, despite an almost immediate sense that these groups are poised for conflict. It's a set-up more successful as a philosophy class hypothetical than a dramatic premise, but director Neil Burger does a good job of papering over cracks that could have ruined his character study.

Our heroine is Shailene Woodley's Tris, born in the Amish-like Abnegation faction to selflessly serve others but who, we learn from voiceover, doesn't quite fit in. It turns out that that she is 'Divergent', with an aptitude for three factions. This is portrayed like a superpower, with Tris able to solve problems that stump her faction mates, but it makes her a threat to the carefully ordered system.

Tris soon joins the Dauntless, a group characterised by high-tech sportswear, a penchant for whooping and a habit of jumping from fast objects and high buildings. There she makes new friends, including hunky trainer Four (Theo James), and the film's second act becomes a lengthy and violent training montage. But while Tris faces a growing chance of discovery by scary Erudite leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet on the sort of stern form that suggests she's the natural heir to Judi Dench), trouble is brewing on a larger scale.

If you're getting shades of The Hunger Games from all this the filmmakers will be thrilled, because they're all-too-obviously trying to launch a similar franchise with a tough heroine, solid action sequences and a world that might credibly be shaken by a teenager. But while the dystopian, stratified societies are superficially similar, Divergent has none of the cod-Roman familiarity of The Hunger Games. There's more training than action - much of the film is concerned with Tris' quest to move up her class rankings rather than grand questions of politics - and on small human dramas Tris must negotiate. The location, the real Chicago playing its digitally ruined self, gives it a scale it might otherwise lack, even if the visuals are highly reminiscent of I Am Legend.

The film's great strength is its cast, and Woodley in particular. Her attempts to negotiate the pressures of friends, family and her own nature are understated and credible even when she faces fantastical challenges, and like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games she convinces as an action heroine. James stays just the right side of brooding as the male lead, and more established actors - Winslet, Ashley Judd and Tony Goldwyn as Tris' parents, Ray Stevenson as the Abnegation leader and Maggie Q as, essentially, Basil Exposition - earn their day's pay in the smaller supporting roles. Whether they will all get the sequel that it begs for remains to be seen, but purely as a first chapter to something larger it's an entertaining start.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Metacritic reviews

88 Chicago Sun-Times Bill Zwecker Chicago Sun-Times Bill Zwecker The strength of Burger’s movie is the fact that a non-reader of Roth’s work can enjoy Divergent and not be confused by any aspect of the storyline.
83 Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman Woodley, through the delicate power of her acting, does something compelling: She shows you what a prickly, fearful, yet daring personality looks like when it's nestled deep within the kind of modest, bookish girl who shouldn't even like gym class.
67 The Playlist Todd Gilchrist The Playlist Todd Gilchrist Because there’s some genuinely great ideas in the film, and some terrific character work, but it’s given such uneven attention, alternately languished upon and glossed over, that the portrait Burger creates feels complete without, well, making us feel a whole lot else.
65 Film.com Film.com Over-plotty, convoluted, full of unanswered questions and unquestioned assumptions — is a big part of the problem here, but director Neil Burger (“Limitless”) pulls off a neat trick here, in that Divergent is a pretty diverting piece of moviemaking pulled from a not-especially-good story.
50 Slant Magazine Eric Henderson Slant Magazine Eric Henderson The film transcends the déjà vu of its borrowed trappings but ironically sacrifices all momentum in favor of a long series of physical tests.
50 McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore Divergent, the latest outcast-teen-battles-The-System thriller, is similar enough to “The Hunger Games” that hardcore Katniss fans may dismiss it. But it’s a more streamlined film, with a love story with genuine heat and deaths with genuine pathos.
50 New York Post Lou Lumenick New York Post Lou Lumenick Divergent is a clumsy, humorless and shamelessly derivative sci-fi thriller set in a generically dystopian future.
40 The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter Sheri Linden Director Neil Burger struggles to fuse philosophy, awkward romance and brutal action. Even with star Shailene Woodley delivering the requisite toughness and magnetism, the clunky result is almost unrelentingly grim.
40 Variety Andrew Barker Variety Andrew Barker By trying to cram in as many explanatory info dumps as possible, Burger neglects to tend to the elements of the film that could easily make up for any narrative deficiencies: namely, a sense of place and a feeling of urgency.
40 Village Voice Amy Nicholson Village Voice Amy Nicholson It'd be easier to root for lead Tris's (Shailene Woodley, the go-to girl for drab roles with grit) quest to escape her Abnegation roots and those ghastly gray skirts to prove herself a worthy Dauntless if director Burger felt committed to the concept.
See all 38 reviews on Metacritic.com
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By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

At the risk of alienating young-adult hearts, the faithful but dramatically flat film version of Divergent , from Veronica Roth’s 2011 bestseller, couldn’t stir palpitations in shut-ins. It’s that bland and lifeless. Odd for a story about rebellious youth in a dystopian future Chicago. Roth, just 22 when Divergent was published, rushed out two follow-up novels, Insurgent and Allegiant . A baldfaced attempt to cash in on the success of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy? You be the judge. The plots – two lovers fight to stay alive in a cruel, controlling society – are virtually identical. At least The Hunger Games spawned two terrific movies and a breakthrough star in Jennifer Lawrence. Onscreen, Divergent ignites only indifference.

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I’m surprised. Shailene Woodley, a spirited actress in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now , seems an ideal choice to play Beatrice Prior, the 16-year-old heroine who must choose her place in a stacked-deck society. Theo James, the Brit actor who played the Turk who died scandalously in Lady Mary’s bed on Downton Abbey , is a tall drink of glowering sexuality as Four, her partner in dangerous personality traits. They needed to generate a sizzling chemistry onscreen. It’s not there. Nada.

I had hopes for director Neil Burger; he made magic with The Illusionist . But he can’t perk up a stultifying script by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor that hews to the surface of the book while jettisoning its daring. The teens in Chicago must choose a faction to define them – Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite. Beware divergents like Four and Tris (see how she jazzed up her name). But except for Kate Winslet’s fearsome turn as a villain, the only terror Divergent roused in me was that the drag-ass thing would never end. Sorry, I’m a Candor.

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My thoughts on Divergent Movie. What did you think of the film?

Hey all! What did you guys think about the Divergent movie after reading the book? I found the movie pretty disappointing tbh. I understand they can’t add everything or follow the book exactly but if I were to compare the two I prefer the book’s version 100%. I feel like it’s not a movie you can love if you have read the book beforehand.

Here are my personal thoughts on the movie...

-I thought a strong point of the movie was the casting especially for Four and Tris. Yes some of the main characters were not exactly as described in the books but I think they managed to pull them off. I guess if I were to be extra nit picky then I thought maybe Shailene was too cute to be Tris since she’s supposed to be plain and they made Eric kinda hot lol. I wasn’t crazy about how Christina was so much tinier than Tris because it made it harder to believe that Tris was the weakest one there.

I think that the setting/scenery was done well. The abnegation and dauntless settings looked very close to how I imagined it.

Certain scenes like the knife throwing scene, the zip line, and the final battle (Four v. Tris) was done very well.

-I personally found Shailene’s acting to be bland at times. I guess I failed to see the fierceness and (kind of) cold determination that I saw in Tris while reading the book. Her acting when her mom died was done very well though. I could feel the emotions right through the screen and I was glad they improvised this scene from the book.

-They made bad improvisations and left out what was supposed to be satisfying scenes. I hated how Tris technically failed initiation and ended up unfairly getting back into Dauntless. I also didn’t like how she didn’t win a single fight. She should have fought Peter first-lost and won later against Molly. It was kinda weird seeing how she suddenly became such a good fighter when she lost badly every single time.

-I wished they added visiting day as well

I didn’t see the chemistry between Four and Tris. In a way, I feel like they didn’t have enough screen time together. When they did the scenes were too short and didn’t feel very significant. When I watched this with my brothers they had no clue that they even had a thing for each other.

-Peter was so mild and was not nearly as horrible to Tris or the others. He doesn’t seem as brutal and when they fight he hesitates to knock her out. I guess because I can’t stop comparing what happened in the book vs movie, Peter didn’t seem that evil to me just annoying and snide. They should have added his reactions when the first rankings were revealed because judging from the movie alone I never would have guessed it was him who stabbed Edward.

-Al was not in the movie enough and his acting was really bad. When he goes to apologize to Tris he just didn’t sound very convincing and the dialogue/script was just awful.

-They failed to distinguish Tris from the rest of the initiates. They should have added moments where Christina and Will were jealous or suspicious of Tris’s abilities. In the film they were always just supportive towards her. You can’t really see why being divergent (besides being able to resist the mind control and get through the simulations easily) makes a person so different.

DIVERGENT Review

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The story of Divergent celebrates bravery, compassion, and above all, accepting an emotional complexity that goes beyond a single characteristic. Unfortunately, Neil Burger 's adaptation of Veronica Roth 's best-selling novel is constantly softening that emotional complexity or dodging it altogether. The director is more focused on recreating the world of the novel, but rarely does he concern himself with fleshing it out and making the character relationships more than superficial. The result is a staggeringly safe picture in what's supposed to be a dangerous setting.

Set a dystopian, post-war Chicago, citizens are divided into five factions, each one emphasizing a particular personality trait: Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (kindness), Erudite (intelligence), Candor (honesty), and Dauntless (bravery). Each one is assigned certain jobs, e.g. Abnegation runs the government because they're public servants, Erudite handles science, Dauntless are the soldiers, etc. Every citizen must choose their faction on their 16th birthday, and are given a test to see, which faction suits them best. When Abnegation citizen Beatrice Prior ( Shailene Woodley ) takes the test, she comes up as "Divergent", which she has to hide because it will make her a target for some mysterious reason. She decides to reject her family, chooses Dauntless, renames herself "Tris," and finds her initiation exhilarating, but discovers that there could be larger conflict brewing between Erudite and Abnegation.

It's a rich, interesting world, but Burger makes a bizarre choice in how to capture it. He seems enamored with the big, empty, dilapidated Chicago, and the living quarters of the factions. This sometimes results in clever touches like how Beatrice's Abnegation family eats dinner around a single, tiny light bulb. But for the most part, he chooses to go with wide, open shots, which is strange considering that the story is about how factions constrain and divide citizens. Perhaps it's supposed to be juxtaposition, but the approach fails because it doesn't help us get a sense of Tris' feelings.

We're also kept mostly at arms' length from her relationships. With the exception of her love-interest/instructor Four ( Theo James ), there's not much depth between Tris and her stock friends and foes. There's the spunky friend Christina ( Zoe Kravitz ), the asshole rival Peter ( Miles Teller ), and the brutal instructor Eric ( Jai Courtney ). Fellow initiates Will ( Ben Lloyd-Hughes ) and Al ( Christian Madsen ) barely exist, and the movie doesn't have to be this way. While there's a lot of story to get through, Burger manages to find depth and connection between Four and Tris through brief shots of their incidental touches, and its disappointing that he doesn't apply those kind of touches to the other relationships. It's mostly up to the actors, and while Woodley is good and has strong chemistry with James, she also makes some strange choices.

I've become a big fan of Woodley from her work in The Descendants and The Spectacular Now , but she has a difficult time managing Tris' balance between her Abnegation and Dauntless personalities. There are moments when her eyes well with tears, but the character should be strong, and there are moments where she gets steely, but the scene calls for tenderness. She plays both emotions well, but they're deployed at odd moments. She's a good actress, but she and the film can't hit the emotional depth the story requires.

Tris is a member of Dauntless—a faction that requires toughness, attitude, and a willingness to court death. But in Burger's adaptation, they're not even willing to embrace much in the way of pain. Their piercings are moderate (Eric has an eyebrow stud…Oooh!) and even their tattoos are easy. Instead of using a needle—you know, the thing that's supposed to hurt—they just use a little patch that sprays on the tattoo. When the initiates fight in the ring, it's a lot of feinting and maybe a bruise. The movie requires a PG-13, but Burger could have gone a lot harder and still gotten it. There are a few moments where the movie does find some real darkness (especially when it shows one of Tris' fears), but for the most part, it uses kid gloves. I don't think making a movie gritty automatically makes it better, but that attitude is inherent in Dauntless. And yet it doesn't manifest itself on screen.

Perhaps Divergent 's problem is that it's running so fast to get through a lot of story that it misses the details that could make it come alive and the plot points that could help it make sense. Shortcuts are necessary and some aspects of the book obviously need to be excised, but adapting as much of the plot as possible is worthless if we don't care about the characters in it. Sometimes we get enough like Tris and Four's relationship, or a clever, snide remark from Peter (Teller is a scene stealer), but these are only hints of a much richer, more daring narrative.

Late in the movie, Tris says, "Be brave." Burger should have followed her advice.

Neil Burger
Zoë Kravitz

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Divergent Parent Guide

So what makes tris prior worth the price of a movie ticket while she meets many challenges, her real talent lies in using her head to solve problems..

In a society that maintains the peace by categorizing each member into one of five factions, Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley) has a problem. She is divergent, meaning she doesn't fit nicely into any of these pigeonholes. And should someone find out, she would be destroyed to prevent her from threatening the prevailing order.

Release date March 21, 2014

Run Time: 140 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

A lot is riding on Shailene Woodley’s portrayal of Tris Prior. Based on a best seller , two sequels for Divergent are already in the works with Insurgent scheduled for a 2015 release. So with stiff competition already on the screen in the form of The Hunger Games ’ Katniss Everdeen, it could spell disaster for the studio if audiences don’t identify with the young heroine. Unfortunately for Woodley, a lot of the film’s runtime is spent introducing characters and setting up the conflict that will hopefully peak in future installments. Meanwhile she is left to carry the show and convince audiences she can embody the novel’s protagonist.

The setting for the story is a futuristic Chicago, where bombed out buildings still litter the landscape a hundred years after a war destroyed them. Since the battle, a huge protective barrier has been erected around the city and the citizens have been broken into five different factions. Erudites are the intellectually elite. Amities are the peaceful farmers. Candors are the brutally honest. Dauntless are the fearlessly brave. And Abnegations are the selfless givers.

On decision day, all the initiates participate in a ceremony where they slice open the palm of their hand and drip blood into a stone bowl representing the faction of their choice. The spirited girl finally settles on Dauntless. Immediately after the ceremony, the newcomers to the group (Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, Molly Newbold) are whisked away on an adrenaline-pumping dash through the city where they have to jump from moving trains and off of buildings. They are then thrown into a rigorous training regime in the Dauntless headquarters located in the underpinnings of the city. Four (Theo James) is their handsome, brooding instructor. (No worries that young viewers won’t like him.) However his authority is often challenged by Eric, a pierced and tattooed leader of Dauntless.

The screenwriters seem to have cut back on the sexual depictions included in Veronica Roth’s novel . Still, the script contains crude sexual comments, a scene of passionate kissing, brief imagined sexual advances and some sensual moments between Four and Tris. But she wants to take things slow—a sure tease for future films. While the newcomers are forced into drug-induced hallucinations as part of their preparation, the film’s biggest content concern for parents will be the violence. During practice, Tris and the others engage in brutal fistfights with one another. Guns and knives are used as part of their education, as well as during an attempted coup. The result is an army of casualties, some with bloody injuries.

So what makes Tris Prior worth the price of a movie ticket? Like all teens, she has to find her way, separate from her parents. She is pretty handy with a gun by the end of her training, yet she has to put in long hours on her own to build her physical strength and prowess. While she meets that challenge, her real talent lies in using her head to solve problems. If Divergent fans take any messages away from their movie experience, the importance of thinking on their feet is probably a good one.

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Kerry Bennett

Divergent rating & content info.

Why is Divergent rated PG-13? Divergent is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

Violence: A character is approached by a snarling dog and has to intervene when it begins chasing a child. Characters jump on and off of moving trains, the side of buildings and into open pits. Dauntless initiates train with guns, knives and hand-to-hand combat: Some bloody injuries and bruising result. A character is knocked unconscious during training. Characters shoot one another with simulated bullets that cause extreme pain. Characters are taunted, pushed and humiliated, and repeatedly subjected to hallucinations of their innermost fears. Characters attempt to thrown a girl over a cliff. A boy commits suicide. Characters have guns held to their heads: Some are shot (off screen). A father is accused of beating his son. A character’s hand is impaled with a knife. Another character has knives thrown at her. Infrequent blood is shown.

Sexual Content: A character wears low cut t-shirts. A couple kisses passionately. A girl wakes up in a man’s bed (she is still fully clothed). A character makes repeated crude sexual comments aimed at a girl. Boys and girls comment about sharing co-ed sleeping and bathroom areas. A girl is seen in her bra while undressing in front of others. A girl fights off unwanted sexual advances.

Language: The script contains less than a dozen profanities or vulgarities. Some slurs and crude sexual comments are used.

Alcohol / Drug Use :Characters are either injected with, or forced to drink, a serum that causes hallucinations or total mind control.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Divergent Parents' Guide

Like many other big screen characters, Katniss Everdeen inspired fashion trends among her fans outside of the theater. Do you think Tris’ tattoo of three birds will encourage Divergent followers to get their own? Many of the other characters in this story also have inked images. How are tattoos portrayed both positively and negatively in the movie?

Eric appears to always be changing rules to suit him. Is it hard to respect a leader who makes regulations on a whim? Why are rules usually depicted as bad things in this movie? From a positive perspective, how do rules help regulate society?

One of Tris’ abilities as a divergent is to solve problems. When she is faced with challenges, Four tells her to calm herself and deal with what is in front of her. Is this good advice? Why is it important to be able to remain composed in a stressful or difficult situation?

This movie is based on a novel by Veronica Roth . The studio has high hopes for this film adaptation.

The most recent home video release of Divergent movie is August 5, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Divergent

Release Date: 5 August 2014

Divergent releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following bonus features:

- “Bringing Divergent to Life” Documentary

- “Faction Before Blood” Featurette

- Audio Commentaries

- Deleted Scenes

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Allegiant left us on a cliffhanger, the fourth film's potential plot, the author is okay with the canceled film.

Allegiant left fans on a cliffhanger with the canceled fourth film's potential plot centered around Tris' death.
Author Veronica Roth is okay with the movie adaptations diverging from her book series.
Roth believes the cancellation of the fourth film was for the best as the third film felt complete and true to the original message.

The 2010s were the heyday of teenagers who were interested in the end of the world as plenty of young adult dystopian novels were flying off the shelves, getting adapted into screenplays, and finding even more fans within movie theaters. Series like The Hunger Games , The Maze Runner , and Divergent were wildly popular, but one of the big three did not exactly pan out like the other two.

While The Hunger Games books have gone on to be adapted into films for more than 10 years — and there is a sixth book currently in the making that directors have already been eye-balling — the Divergent book-to-film adaptations fell a bit flat. The first two films brought in a combined $586.2 million, but the third film, which featured only half of Victoria Roth's third book, fell short with only $179.2 million against a $142 million budget. Some conversations were had about how to comfortably conclude the series with a successful fourth and final film , but eventually, the entire idea was shelved.

Now, 10 years after the very first Divergent film came out, Netflix has decided to bring the unfinished trilogy onto its streaming service where it is getting the spotlight once more. Fans are no longer wondering if or when a fourth film will be made, but rather, they are considering what would have happened in the canceled Divergent movie.

Watching Tris (Shailene Woodley) constantly fight the good fight against morally corrupt individuals was surely a whirlwind of a ride, and by the end of The Divergent Series: Allegiant , the fight is still not over. In the third film, Tris, Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort), and several others manage to learn about what the outside world is really like, and they are not impressed. They are told that Chicago has been a disturbing social experiment for the last 200 years, and their faction system was designed to find the purest divergents who would essentially save all of humanity.

How Does the Third Divergent Movie End?

Heartbroken about the reality of the situation, Tris tries to get the director, David (Jeff Daniels), to see that the end of the faction system has actually caused more chaos back home. David listens to her pleas, but in the end, he does not care about anyone who is ultimately labeled as "Damaged." Tris regroups with Four, her brother, and Christina (Zoë Kravitz), and they make their way back to Chicago to end the war between those who accepted their new factionless state and the Allegiant who want to reinstate rules and regulations.

They manage to stop David's plan of wiping everyone's memory, but they have yet to take him and the rest of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare down. The final scene ends with the camouflage wall being destroyed so that a fair fight can take place between those at the Bureau who have always called the shots and those in Chicago who are just now finding out that they have been a pawn in someone else's game. Needless to say, audiences know that a storm is brewing, but without a fourth film, this highly anticipated fight never happens.

In theory, the fourth Divergent film, which was going to be called The Divergent Series: Ascendant , would have covered the remaining storyline of Veronica Roth's third book. However, looking at the plot that was on the page and how things got shaken up and altered in the third film, there was not a lot of original material left to be adapted onto the screen . The war between Evelyn's group and the newly developed Allegiant force had already erupted; Tris and Four discovered the real nature behind David and the Bureau, and David's plan of erasing everyone's memory was ultimately foiled. This only left one major plot point for the fourth film: Tris' death.

Divergent: What The Movie Adaptations Could Have Done Better

With star power and exciting stories, the Divergent series had potential to be a major movie franchise. Here's what could have been done better.

Shailene Woodley's Tris Prior was Supposed to Die

At the end of Roth's third novel, Tris is actually shot and killed by David . Many fans who read the trilogy were less than pleased about this turn of events, but for the movie to stay close to its source material, this would have been an inevitable event. Of course, some screen time could have been dedicated to Four being upset and later on becoming a leader within Chicago (something that also happened in Roth's book), but because there were not a lot of major points to still cover, much of the fourth film would have been made up by the writers to keep things going.

It would seem like most authors would not want their work to be ripped apart when getting a movie adaptation, but Roth does not have a problem with how things ended for the Divergent films. She told People that the decision to break her third book into two films is pretty much what solidified the difference in the works.

When asked specifically about her feelings towards The Divergent Series: Allegiant , she said, "I knew the movies were taking a different track than the books ... I feel like that third movie, I don't know — there's a lot we could talk about with it. But it's its own thing." Roth has since come to terms with a fourth film not getting made because she feels like Tris' story of being the mighty heroine (who is alive) is right for audiences.

10 Movies to Watch if You Liked Divergent

Between the dystopian aspect, characters with chemistry, and teenagers trying to save the world, here are 10 movies like Divergent you need to watch.

The Cancelation of the Fourth Film Is For the Best

Roth even went on to admit that the third film "feels complete" in a sense. Perhaps she is content that more screenwriters were not brought in to add a new angle to her work, or maybe she is happy that her work was able to have an alternate ending (Tris not dying) for those who desperately wanted to see something good come out of a bad situation. Whatever the reason, the message behind Roth's books and films is still true and wholesome: people need to unapologetically be themselves and fight for what they believe is right. The Divergent series is streaming on Netflix.

We have opinions.

April 18, 2014 By Yoshi Makishima Leave a Comment

It’s easy to see where Divergent borrowed from other young adult franchises. As a movie adaptation of Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel Divergent , can check all the same boxes as the juggernaut that is The Hunger Games . Comparisons between the franchises are inevitable, but frankly, Divergent doesn’t make much effort to avoid them.

Sharp-shooting female protagonist? Check. Dystopian North American Fascist regime? Check. Culture of ritualized child-on-child violence? Check. A Kravitz (Zoë, following her father Lenny’s footsteps after his role in The Hunger Games )? Check.

“Divergent,” like “The Hunger Games,” opens on a teenage protagonist living in a world of muted colors and shaky camerawork. Beatrice Prior lives in Abnegation, the community service clique located in a post-apocalyptic Chicago restructured into five high school-like groups. There are the geeks (Erudite), the jocks (Dauntless), the happy hippies (Amity), and the oversharing smartasses (Candor). If you can’t keep track, don’t worry – each faction is color-coded for your convenience, outfitted in different monochromatic uniforms.

In this society, every 16-year-old must take an entrance exam involving what appear to be hallucinogenic jello shots to determine which group they belong to. But when Beatrice is tested, she fits into too many categories. She is Divergent and her test proctor (an imposing Maggie Q) tells her she must hide her condition, or else.

Or else what, you may well ask? And why? We are repeatedly told that “Divergents threaten the system” – but the movie never gives us a reason (perhaps because the book didn’t supply any answers, either), so we’re left with a conflict sans any sense of immediate danger.

Following the test, there is an ostentatious choosing ceremony, where the teens pick the faction they will belong to. This ceremony should be unnecessary, as most of them should already know where they’ll end up from the test they just took. But, as in the The Hunger Games , this ceremony exists to force the heroine to transform into an ass-kicking action lead. Accordingly, Beatrice signs up for Dauntless, the tattooed, pierced, leather-clad military faction.

Frankly, it’s surprising that more of these 16-year-olds aren’t running to join this glamorous crew.

Beatrice, rechristening herself “Tris,” undergoes the brutal Dauntless initiation training – the violence of which was toned down from the book. In Roth’s novel, a peripheral character takes a knife to the eye, the heroine is nearly sexually assaulted, and most of the trainees regularly beat each other into bloody unconsciousness.

It’s actually a pity they took it out. The random, shocking violence in the novel created an atmosphere of peril and urgency that the nearly nonexistent conflict couldn’t supply. In The Hunger Games film, the constant threat of death and bodily harm (retained from the novel) kept things interesting, even during the more banal moments. The world of Divergent feels safer, so there is less reason to care.

Divergent continues to tell us about some vague danger without showing us the threat. The movie tries to give us a good scare with a violent inter-faction coup-d’état in the fifth act, but it’s too little, too late. The movie spends plenty of time letting the characters train for a fight without giving them an occasion to use their skills. The slowness of Divergent invites this unfavorable comparison with The Hunger Games . The latter jumped into the midst of battle early on, while the former stays stuck in the training stage for far too long.

Both The Hunger Games and Divergent started out as novels that told more than they showed. Both were narrated in the present tense by their teenage protagonists. Their voices are humorless, ponderous, and sometimes irritatingly petulant.

However, when The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins adapted her own novel for the screen, with input from Billy Ray and director Gary Ross, she made the smart decision to leave Katniss’ narrative voice out of the screenplay. In the film version of the The Hunger Games , Katniss becomes all wordless action. The character’s silence, combined with the quiet strength of her portrayer, Jennifer Lawrence, made Katniss all the more compelling.

Shailene Woodley is just as strong an actress as Lawrence, but the screenplay of Divergen t does its best to undermine her. She’s forced to engage with the plodding voiceover, largely intact from the book. A sample, the very first line of the movie, drones “They say the war was terrible.”

Her dialogue is just as stilted. Her unconvincing language is a reflection of the character’s lack of motivation. Tris just doesn’t seem to have much to fight for. In any movie, especially an action film, actions matter more than words. Like its “Divergent” protagonist, this one never adheres to that mantra. The result isa film that’s all bark, and no bite.

Movie Verdict: Fail Score: 30%

This article was published in its original form in The Massachusetts Daily Collegian on April 9, 2014.

About Yoshi Makishima

Yoshi is a student at Smith College. She enjoys stop-motion animation, Shakespearean drama, and cancelled TV shows. When she grows up she wants to be a film director. Or a pirate. She hasn’t decided yet.

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10 movies and tv shows like ‘the hunger games’.

The odds are in audiences' favor of finding something that resembles the four-film franchise as they await the new film and novel.

By Lexy Perez

Associate Editor

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While fans of The Hunger Games await the new new Hunger Games film from Lionsgate and Suzanne Collins’ forthcoming fifth novel in the saga (titled The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping ), there are a myriad of movies and TV shows that volunteer as tribute to fill the void.

Whether seeking stories about similar dystopian worlds, young protagonists trying to survive amid hardships or action-packed adventures with a little bit of romance à la Katniss, Peeta and Gale, audiences can find satisfaction in films and TV shows that have similarities to The Hunger Games franchise.

From movies based on best-selling books like Divergent and The Maze Runner to international hit Squid Game, exploring a new kind of deadly arena and a viewing guilty pleasure, The Hunger Games fans may find that the odds are in their favor of finding something that resembles the four-film franchise.

Below, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at 10 films and TV shows that offer similarities to The Hunger Games. THR also put together a definitive ranking of the films, including The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes prequel.

'Divergent'

Divergent was a dystopian franchise that shortly followed the release of the first Hunger Games film and shared a variety of similarities with the Panem world. Based on Veronica Roth’s trilogy of books first released in 2011, the films center on protagonist Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley), who lives in a post-apocalyptic dystopian Chicago. Throughout Divergent , Insurgent , and Allegiant , society is divided into five factions — Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). After choosing to leave her family and transfer to the Dauntless faction, Tris learns more about herself and the dangerous secrets her society is trying to keep hidden. Then, despite finding herself in danger, a blooming romance also takes place. In addition to Woodley, the films star Theo James and Kate Winslet.

'The Maze Runner'

Also adapted from bestselling book trilogy of the same name by James Dashner, 2014’s Maze Runner film starred Dylan O’Brien and was directed by Wes Ball. The dystopian science fiction story tells a similar survival narrative as The Hunger Games , with young protagonists left stranded and forced to survive. After teen Thomas (O’Brien) finds himself at the center of a giant labyrinth with no memory of his previous life, he and the other youths are forced to survive and find a way to escape the maze. The Maze Runner film was followed by Scorch Trials (2015) and The Death Cure (2018).

'Battle Royale'

The 2000 film Battle Royale featured a similar premise to The Hunger Games , in which ninth graders are sent to a deserted island and left to survive under dangerous circumstances. Despite being provided with weapons, a map and food, each child has an explosive collar fitted around their neck. If they break a rule, the collar explodes. Like The Hunger Games seeking a sole tribute, the young protagonists in Battle Royale have to kill each other to be the last one standing, which ultimately lets them leave the island.

'Lord of the Flies'

Another book adaptation, the classic 1954 William Golding novel of the same name, Lord of the Flies tells a similar story of survival with young protagonists. After their plane crashes and leaves them stranded them on a remote island, a group of young boys must figure out how to survive. Though not a direct comparison, the story offers similar consequences and a fight to stay hopeful and remain alive like Katniss and others in the Hunger Games stories.

'Squid Game'

Rather than compete to be named the victor tribute, Netflix’s Squid Game has contestants fighting for money. In the Netflix series, individuals struggling with poverty or financial situations are invited to compete each other in kids games with a deadly twist. Despite having different motives, the competition resembles that of The Hunger Games ‘ dangerous arena and life or death consquences.

'The Society'

Though Netflix’s The Society only received one season, the series shared similarities with The Hunger Games . The Society takes place in a town where all the adults disappear without warning, leaving the teenagers to fend for themselves and create a new town. Things take a darker turn amid conflicts and threats which could impact the young protagonists’ chance of survival. Once again a group of young protagonists, like in The Hunger Games , are forced to survive on their own.

Rebecca Ferguson and Avi Nash in Apple TV+’s Silo.

In Apple TV+’s post-apocalyptic series starring Rebecca Ferguson, people live in a community like The Hunger Games ‘ districts, only this community exists in a giant underground silo. In the silo is a society full of regulations designed to supposedly protect everyone. However, when the sheriff breaks a cardinal rule and people begin dying mysteriously, an engineer (Ferguson) begins discovering secrets about the silo. The story features similarities to The Hunger Games ‘ Capitol, which attempts to present itself as a savior to the districts. But Katniss soon learns the dark secrets of President Snow and the dangerous regulations and way of life he and the Capitol are trying to uphold.

'The Handmaid's Tale'

For those seeking something akin to Katniss leading the resistance, look no further than Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. The dark dystopian series based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name, centers on a totalitarian society that has subjected fertile women into sexual servitude. Like Katniss, Elisabeth Moss’s Offred/June is the series’ female heroine, who is forced to be a Handmaid as Katniss is forced to compete in the Hunger Games. However, both fight back against an oppressive system.

'The Purge'

The Purge may be a horror film, but with a storyline centered on a deadly event taking place every year, it’s not hard to see the underlying similarities with The Hunger Games. In the film, which also spawned a franchise including The Forever Purge , pictured above, the U.S. government allows 12-hour periods of time in which all illegal activity is legal. During this time, things are prone to become dangerous and deadly for many, leaving others to fight back and try to survive. The storyline can mirror that of The Hunger Games’ competition, in which tributes are forced to fight to the death in battles that also serve as spectacle.

Eliza Taylor and Christopher Larkin in 'The 100.'

For fans of young protagonists in a dystopian world, The 100 is worth a watch. The CW show, which lasted for seven seasons, takes place in a time when it has been nearly 100 years since Earth was devastated by a nuclear apocalypse. The only survivors are the inhabitants of 12 international space stations. Years later, the leaders of space habitat the Ark exile a group of 100 juvenile prisoners to the Earth’s surface to test whether it’s habitable despite no one having set foot on the planet in nearly a century. With the characters attempting to be free from control of their leaders and forced to survive on their own, the story may seem like a Hunger Games -inspired scenario.

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3 Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (June 28-30)

A man raises a lantern in The Lost City.

Ordinarily, our picks for the three Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend would include some of the films leaving at the end of the month. But since we’ve already done a roundup of the five great movies leaving Hulu in June that you need to watch, we won’t repeat ourselves here.

A Love Song (2022)

Fight club (1999), the lost city (2022).

Instead of the action-packed lineup that includes The Batman and Die Hard with a Vengeance , we’ve gone with a low-key relationship drama, a fan-favorite flick, and a fairly recent action rom-com. If you also subscribe to Disney+, you can watch these films on that app as well.

A Love Song is the kind of film that could disappear completely into obscurity if it weren’t on a streaming service like Hulu. Max Walker-Silverman’s directorial debut is a stripped-down affair with minimal performers and locations. Veteran actors Dale Dickey and Wes Studi star as Faye and Lito, a pair of childhood friends who haven’t seen each other for a long time.

In the intervening decades, Faye and Lito both married other people and both are now widowed. As the two of them spend the night camping together, they share old memories and older regrets as they try to determine what’s next for them. They also have to figure out if they can still be a part of each other’s lives as either friends or lovers.

Watch A Love Song on Hulu .

To share some of the best parts of Fight Club would mean spoiling some important things in the movie, and we’re not going to do that here. However, we are going to break the first two rules of Fight Club , because this is one of the seminal cult classics from the turn of the century. Edward Norton stars as the unnamed Narrator, who takes on different personas at support groups just to deal with his own insomnia.

The Narrator soon encounters two people who change his life: a fellow support group attendee named Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter) and the charismatic Tyler Durden ( Wolfs star Brad Pitt), who is everything that the Narrator isn’t. Tyler and the Narrator form a close bond and co-found Fight Club, which attracts a lot of disaffected men with the promise of beating the hell out of each other in the name of camaraderie. The Narrator only thinks he’s the co-leader of Fight Club, but Tyler has his own grand plans. And if the Narrator gets in Tyler’s way, then he’s going to regret it.

Watch Fight Club on Hulu .

Assuming you’ve seen Romancing the Stone — which is not always a safe assumption — then you may notice a lot of parallels with The Lost City . The film follows former archeologist turned best-selling novelist, Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), as she reluctantly goes on tour to promote her books alongside Alan Caprison (Channing Tatum), the hunky cover model used on her novels.

Alan has had a crush on Loretta for years, even before her husband passed away. But before Alan can confess his feelings, Loretta is kidnapped by a billionaire, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), who wants to force her to help him retrieve a lost treasure from a remote island. Alan takes the opportunity to prove himself to Loretta by staging her rescue. Unfortunately for the duo, Abigail’s men have them outgunned and outnumbered. And there may not be an easy way for the pair to get off of the island.

Watch The Lost City on Hulu .

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Streaming Services

Navigating the new releases coming to streaming services alongside the archival titles the streamers have had for years can be an overwhelming challenge. Prime Video, for example, has plenty of great movies that are often buried on the service unless the algorithm by some miracle decides that they might be right for you.

The best thing to do is probably to avoid the algorithm altogether. Instead, we've pulled together three underrated movies available on the streaming service that you should check out this weekend. You may not have heard of any of these movies, but trust us, you won't regret checking them out. You Were Never Really Here (2018) You Were Never Really Here Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Trailers

The summer action movie season continues in June. Last weekend marked the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, the fourth installment in the franchise, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Meanwhile, Netflix is still riding high off Jennifer Lopez's Atlas, which immediately shot to No. 1 in the top 10. Other action movies on the streamer include The Equalizer, Divergent, and Godzilla Minus One.

Netflix has an entire section dedicated to the action genre. The action library ranges from blockbusters and comedies to fantasy and sci-fi. This June, consider watching these three action movies, including a crime saga inspired by a television show, an entertaining police adventure, and an underrated action thriller. Miami Vice (2006)

So far, with few exceptions, action has not been hitting at the box office this summer. But if you're looking for an action fix at home, then Hulu has just what you need this month. Hulu doesn't just have action flicks -- it has some of the biggest summer blockbusters ever made. And while Hulu doesn't always get the most recent box office hits, the classics will always make the streaming service worthwhile for movie fans.

Our picks for the three action movies on Hulu that you need to watch in June include a standalone Fast and Furious flick, an action-packed sci-fi spectacular, and a 2022 film that made its first appearance on Hulu earlier this month. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)

‘Uglies’ Joey King Netflix Movie: Everything We Know So Far

Following A Family Affair, Joey King has another Netflix movie coming up in 2024.

Joey King and Uglies book cover – Photo by MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images

After years of waiting, Netflix is gearing up to release its adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies sometime in the second half of 2024. That will only happen after some minor additional filming and reshoots are planned. Here’s the lowdown on everything to know about McG’s next movie for Netflix starring Joey King.

Netflix’s Uglies will be directed by McG (Joseph McGinty Nichol), whose credits include Charlie’s Angels and Terminator Salvation. The writer/director is also a frequent collaborator with Netflix as well, working on The Babysitter, Rim of the World, and most recently, Family Switch .

The script for Uglies was penned by Emmy-nominated screenwriters Krista Vernoff ( Grey’s Anatomy, Shameless, Charmed ) and Vanessa Taylor ( The Shape of Water, Game of Thrones, Divergent ).

Pictured: McG, Krista Vernoff and Vanessa Taylor

The project was first announced back in September 2020 when it was attached to Netflix. Adaptations had been in development before landing on Netflix, with it previously set up under Fox. According to Deadline ‘s sources, lead star Joey King has been a fan of the series for a long time and brought the series to Netflix –called them, got them to read the script and the book, and then King got Netflix to option it.

Joey King notably signed a first-look deal with Netflix in the Summer of 2021 for upcoming projects from her production company, All The King’s Horses.

Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s Uglies :

What’s the plot of Uglies ?

As mentioned above, Netflix’s Uglies will be an adaptation of Scott Westerfield’s international bestselling novel of the same name that was first published in 2005. It later spawned many sequels.

The story is set in a world in which a compulsory operation at 16 wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty. Here’s the plot synopsis of the book:

“Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait. In just a few weeks she’ll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty. And as a pretty, she’ll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun. But Tally’s new friend Shay isn’t sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn’t very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally’s choice will change her world forever.”

Uglies Book Cover

Who is cast in Uglies ?

Picture: Getty Images

Joey King is an extremely familiar face on Netflix now thanks to her starring role in The Kissing Booth trilogy. In Uglies , King will be playing the role of Tally Youngblood, a character she has wanted to play for years since reading the books over a decade ago.

While on the red carpet for David Leitch’s Bullet Train , King was asked about Uglies and had the following response;

It was very exciting for me. The Uglies books meant a lot to me as a kid. Being able to make that and be the lead of those movies and also have so much fun while doing it–what a dream realized! I was 11 years old when I fell in love with the books.

Joey King describes working on ‘Uglies,’ YA bestseller adaption for Netflix, as a “dream realized” because she’s been a fan of the books since 11 pic.twitter.com/8jzdZbqnwf — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) August 2, 2022

On October 18th, 2021, three further cast members were announced for Uglies. Brianne Tju of Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer , Chase Stokes of Outer Banks , and Keith Powers of The Tomorrow War have been cast in unconfirmed roles.

Below is the full cast list of Uglies ;

Joey King – Tally Youngblood
Laverne Cox – TBA
Chase Stokes – TBA
Brianne Tju – TBA
Jillian Murray – Ellie Youngblood
Jan Luis Castellanos – Croy
Kevin Miles – Auryn
Keith Powers – TBA
Alex D. Jennings – Garbo
Kelly Gale – Sage
Robert Palmer Watkins – Sol Youngblood
Jessica Galinas – General Clayton
Moose Ali Khan – Prime Minister Morrell
Zamani Wilder – Astrix
Jordan Sherley – An
Ash Maeda – Dex
Brett Hoyle – Nico Rodrigo
Jay DeVon Johnson – Az
Joe Sterrey – Fox
Jason Parks – Cael
Kate McSweeney – Emilin

What’s the production status of Uglies ?

In 2021, in issue 1265 of Production Weekly, it was reported that production of Uglies would begin in October 2021 and last until January 2022.

Filming actually wrapped up a little earlier than expected. On December 19th, Joey King posted on Instagram that filming had finished. The caption reads as follows:

“Can’t believe I spent the last several months playing a character I’ve dreamt about for 10 years. See you in Uglyville folks. #ThatsAWrap”

Scott Westerfeld also confirmed that filming had concluded but added there’s a long way to go:

“The filming is done! Now for the editing, VFX, music, etc. No release date yet.”

In February 2022, shortly after filming had finished, Joey King was interviewed by Collider , who stated that the movie was “looking fantastic.”

Speaking more about the project and how it came about, King said:

“I was really lucky that they [Netflix] were on board with it and that we got not only Scott Westerfeld stamp of approval, but like his enthusiasm. He is so excited and I’m such a fan of his and McG is so smart and just was the perfect person. I think to make this, this film, we finished filming in December and McG was so generous and showed a lot of the footage to me and the cast while we were still shooting. And God, it looks cool already. It’s it was zero effects, zero coloring, zero like special effects edited in.”

In August 2023, Scott Westerfeld delivered a small update on the movie, responding to a question on X about the status, saying , “Minor tweaks delayed by the strikes.”

Then, in late 2023, we got an update through McG with the website TooFab , who asked about the forthcoming movie. When asked about the status of the movie, he responded:

“Yeah, I’m just finishing it right now with Joey King. It’s really exciting — big world creation, dystopian future. Joey’s such a courageous little rebel in that movie. Chase Stokes is in that movie, Laverne Cox. It’s really, really exciting. It’s our answer to Hunger Games, and it’s turning out really cool.”

In early 2024, we learned that additional filming for the movie was taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, again.

What’s the runtime and age rating for Uglies ?

In June 2024, we got word that the movie had been handed a PG-13 rating in the United States for “some violence and action, and brief strong language.”

Also in June, we learned that the runtime for Uglies will be 1 hour and 40 minutes.

What’s the Netflix release date for Uglies ?

Netflix has yet to announce a release date for Uglies but has confirmed that the movie will be part of the 2024 lineup. The news came on February 1st when Netflix previewed its upcoming slate of 50+ movies set to arrive throughout the year .

Although no window was provided, given that there’s still some additional filming to do, we wouldn’t realistically expect a release date until mid-to-late 2024.

We’ll update you once we have more.

Before we sign off, we should mention that Netflix is also set to adapt another novel by Scott Westerfeld. Coming from the studio behind Beastars is a new series called Leviathan that’s set to release exclusively on Netflix in 2025 .

Are you looking forward to the release of Uglies on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.

Tigran is our resident previews writer. He works on collecting everything known about upcoming Netflix Original projects and also is editor-in-chief of Redanian Intelligence. Resides in France.

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When Biden’s withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan turned into a debacle, costing American lives, who was fired for the foul-up?

“The most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,” Trump declared.

“He didn’t fire?”

Who in Biden’s administration has paid a professional price for immigration crisis?

“Did you fire anybody that’s on the border — that’s allowed us to have the worst border in the history of the world?” Trump wanted to know.

Voters across the country would like to know, too.

Biden reacted with indignation every time Trump hit him over the descent of America into chaos and self-doubt.

“We are the most admired country in the world,” the president insisted.

“We’re the United States of America. There’s nothing beyond our capacity. We have the finest military in the history of the world. The finest in the history of the world. No one thinks we’re weak.”

Biden’s right about our military, but even the finest military can’t fulfill its mission with weak leadership — like Biden’s.

Trump’s fundamental message is about making America great again by firing failed leaders and turning more responsibility back to the people — responsibility for their economic lives and for the laws under which they live.

Biden’s message is that America is already great and doesn’t need to change anything: It just has to re-elect him.

Yet if things are so good, why are they so bad?

Why are prices sky high, why are wars breaking out, why’s the border wide open to lawbreakers?

Blaming the rich for everything won’t get Biden off the hook for his own record.

America is great, but his presidency is lousy — and everyone knows it:

His leadership is as decrepit as he is.

And even if the Democrats swap Biden out, his replacement will undoubtedly retain the same suite of failed policy prescriptions — so whoever tops their party’s ticket, voters will face the same choice of divergent paths for America’s future.

Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review and editor-at-large of The American Conservative.

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The Boys Season 4, Episode 5 Review – "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son"

Someone hug hughie..

This review contains full spoilers for The Boys Season 4, Episode 5, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son.”

If you’ve read The Boys comics, you’re probably pleased that Prime Video’s adaptation isn’t anywhere near as perverted and edge-lord-y as its source material. Eric Kripke’s show has chosen to modify much of Garth Ennis’ superhero satire, but the latest episode of Season 4, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” proves that the showrunner hasn’t ditched everything from Ennis’ pages. Because if there’s one thing the show and comics agree on, it’s torturing Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid). He’s everyone’s favorite punching bag because he’s the innocent wee mouse of the group. Testing Hughie is the franchise’s bread and butter, but even then, the Campbell family tragedy of “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son” feels especially vindictive – and somewhat like overkill.

After Compound V turns Hugh Sr. (Simon Pegg) into an amnesiac murder machine, Hughie is forced to humanely execute his father. These are the consequences of Hughie’s actions last episode : Even though he made the responsible choice at the last second and dropped the stolen Compound V vial, his mother, Daphne (Rosemarie DeWitt), slipped the blue superdrug into Hugh Sr.’s IV drip. He wakes up good as new – only now he can dematerialize through solid objects, like when he accidentally bisects a fellow patient by glitching into his abdomen. Hughie spent the last few episodes furious that Hugh Sr. secretly granted Daphne legal power to “Do Not Resuscitate,” and now karma makes him follow up on that order in merciless The Boys fashion.

The Boys Season 4, Episode 5 – "Beware the Jabberwock, My Son" Gallery

My problem isn’t the performances. Quaid, DeWitt, and Pegg are all throwing emotional haymakers as the Campbells address years of marital and parental trauma amid a juicy hospital massacre. What’s frustrating is the way Kripke and team conflate torturing their characters with evolving them. Hughie can apparently only have one parent in the picture, so they draw out his father’s demise in exceedingly melodramatic and graphic fashion. It’s right after Hughie forgives A-Train, too – one step forward, 17 steps back.

The same goes for Frenchie (Tomer Capone), who ends the episode by turning himself over to the police, coming clean about all of the murders he’s committed in an abrupt swerve that curbs his arc with Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara). I get that both Hughie and Frenchie (despite their evident differences) need to heal before they can grow. But The Boys keeps telling the same stories over and over, and it’s a real drag on Season 4.

Which is the scariest animal to be injected with V?

The other main thread of “Beware the Jabberwock” involves Butcher (Karl Urban), The Boys, and surprise guest Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito). Butcher drops the bombshell about Victoria Neuman’s (Claudia Doumit) supe-killing virus, noting that even though it poses an immediate threat to Annie (Erin Moriarty) and Kimiko, it’s better in their hands than Neuman’s (or worse). Edgar leads everyone to his safehouse, a farming estate in the hills, which he finds ransacked. Surprise! Neuman ambushes them with her muscle, so they all start searching for the leftover virus together, only to discover that V-powered animals have taken over the compound.

At least there’s room for levity in this episode: Opposite Hughie’s crushing storyline is a creature-feature sidequest pitting The Boys against flying, tentacle-shooting, bloodthirsty barnyard adversaries. First it’s chickens, then sheep, and almost a V’ed-up bull – until the sheep assert their dominance by gnawing the bovine into bitty chunks. Butcher and crew can only flee in confused terror as bulletproof terrors straight out of some Z-grade horror film pick off bodyguards one by one. It’s suitably bonkers, and provides a hint of the unserious anti-superhero show we love. But the dueling focuses of “Beware the Jabberwock” feel incompatible. The bleeding-raw heartache and unearthly livestock carnage never fit together in yin-and-yang harmony.

As for Homelander (Antony Starr) and his Seven coup, they’re in the backseat. Vought is focused on their V52 expo – a send-up of Disney’s D23 event – which has all the superheroes putting on their best face for the public. This leads to some hilarious line readings, like The Deep (Chace Crawford) introducing Vought’s new custom technology that recognizes a user’s race and “personalizes” product placement. There’s also a humorously cluttered timeline of upcoming Vought movie releases that pokes fun at Marvel’s phase announcements, and A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) talks about expensive reshoots and ballooning budgets like it’s a good thing for viewers. The Boys isn’t being subtle, not in its political commentary or its corporate skewering.

We finally get an end to Homelander’s pesky mole problem, though the actual culprit, A-Train, remains at large. Vought CEO and glorified meat puppet Ashley Barrett (Colby Minifie) hears his confession, implicating them both now, so she acts on a solution. After Vought News Network anchor Cameron Coleman (Matthew Edison) dumps Ashley – her vulgar dominatrix aren’t "dommy" enough for him – she frames Coleman as the leak. Homelander gathers his faithful Seven and new followers like Gen V’s Sam (Asa Germann) and Cate (Maddie Phillips) to declare his intent to turn product-peddling superheroes into wrathful gods. That begins with Cameron’s execution, which is nothing more than a ruthless gang beatdown committed by the most powerful “heroes” in the world – all thanks to Ashley’s nastily despicable actions.

This season of The Boys started out, and continues to feel, predictably unpredictable. Of course A-Train is off the hook (for now) and someone else dies horribly for his actions. Of course Butcher ends the episode by revealing he kidnapped Neuman’s virus-making husband and sawed his leg off to make everyone think he’s sheep food. The bad guys keep winning, the good guys keep getting screwed, and the poisonous environment in which everyone is trying to survive has lost some of its sting. Maybe my lukewarm reaction is driven by an inability to embrace both the wildly divergent tones of “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son”: monster massacre vs. familial ruination. Or maybe Season 4’s habit of repeating itself – telling the same old stories, relying too much on shock value – is draining some of The Boys’ juice.

“Beware the Jabberwock, My Son” tries to deliver the best of both worlds. For half the episode, Hughie confronts his inability to make tough decisions by having to make the toughest decision of his life. The other half is either cheeky jabs at real-world corporate empires or a livestock horror flick in the mountains. What would’ve felt like a standard episode for earlier seasons of The Boys is a tougher sell at this point. While there’s plenty to hoot and holler about (or maybe shed a tear over) here, there’s also the feeling that the show is just tying up loose ends to make room for new ones. What’s already overwhelming stays that way – and there’s only three episodes of Season 4 to go.

The Boys New Episode Review

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Divergent movie review & film summary (2014)
Screenplay. Vanessa Taylor. "Divergent" is all about identity—about searching your soul and determining who you are and how you fit in as you emerge from adolescence to adulthood. So it's all too appropriate that the film version of the wildly popular young adult novel struggles a bit to assert itself as it seeks to appeal to the widest ...
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Film Review: 'Divergent'
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